Istanbul Medeniyet University Sustainability Office and Sustainability Student Club, in cooperation with Maltepe Municipality Zero Waste and Climate Change Directorate and ISTAÇ, organized a program including upcycling and recycling workshops for vulnerable groups such as children, disabled people and women on Thursday, May 15, 2025 as part of “World Climate Day”. The event was also held as the first day activities of the “Transformation Festival” organized by Istanbul Medeniyet University Sustainability Student Club and supported by the Unides Program of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Youth and Sports. The workshops were led by Istanbul Medeniyet University Sustainability Office research assistants Ayça ÇELİKBİLEK and Furkan ERUÇAR, while members of the IMU Sustainability Student Club, Maltepe Municipality Zero Waste and Climate Change Directorate staff and İSTAÇ team actively supported the activities.
The first workshop of the program was “Upcycling Workshop with Textile Wastes” held with children at Maltepe Municipality Zübeyde Hanım Day Care Center. In the event, two separate upcycling workshops were organized for two different age groups. In the workshops, a total of 4 different finger puppet designs were produced with the children by using leftover fabrics collected by the IMU Sustainability Student Club from tailors and workshops, unused paper clips and felt pieces left over from the club’s projects. The 30 children who participated were first given a basic environmental education on recycling and upcycling. Then, upcycling practices were carried out with the children. At the end of the workshop, children were able to see the products they created with their own hands, which both reinforced the learning process and increased their motivation to contribute to the environment. At the end of the workshop, children were also given examples of upcycling projects that they could realize at home with their families. In this way, an important contribution was made not only to the production process, but also to the fight against environmental pollution and the dissemination of sustainable living practices. This meaningful event established a multidimensional relationship with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and encouraged the active participation of vulnerable groups in waste management processes. The workshops created participatory and practical learning environments for children with an inclusive education approach within the framework of SDG 4 – Quality Education. The Upcycling Workshop, organized with textile scraps, allowed children to develop their creativity through the concept of upcycling and contributed to raising environmental awareness at an early age. The use of leftover materials for the production of finger puppets in the workshops contributed to SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production by showing how the vision of zero waste can be integrated into daily life practices.
In the second workshop of the program, a “Paper Recycling Workshop” was organized with the participation of disabled people and their families at the Producing Disabled Center of Maltepe Municipality. In the workshop, the participants were first introduced to the paper recycling process and traditional Turkish paper production methods. Then, waste paper collected from Istanbul Medeniyet University was recycled and new papers were produced together with the participants. In the workshop, where each participant was involved in the practice, colored and seeded papers were produced to be used in the production of bookmarks for people with disabilities. The participants witnessed how a material that is seen as waste was transformed into a new product in their own hands; recycling was transformed from an abstract concept into a concrete and impressive achievement based on personal experience. The Paper Recycling Workshop, which offers an inclusive training opportunity for people with disabilities, both contributed to SDG 10 – Reducing Inequalities by supporting the active participation of people with disabilities in production processes and contributed to cultural sustainability by introducing traditional papermaking techniques. The transformation of the produced papers into bookmarks enabled the production of both a functional and a lasting souvenir.
Overall, both workshops contributed indirectly to SDG 13 – Climate Action by strengthening community-based sustainability efforts, raising awareness on climate action and circular use of resources. In this respect, the events demonstrated a holistic approach to development that focuses not only on environmentally sensitive production processes, but also on social inclusion and empowerment through education.
The events prioritized social inclusion in line with sustainable development goals. In addition to raising the environmental awareness of the participants through practical workshops where recycling and upcycling techniques were taught, the practical nature of the workshops contributed to reducing the environmental footprint of people while reducing waste. Thanks to the workshops organized, a total of 2.58 kg of greenhouse gas emissions were prevented and 0.82 kWh of energy was saved. Thus, it has been demonstrated with concrete data that even small-scale or individual efforts can make significant contributions in terms of environmental impact.
The Transformation Festival will continue until June 15 with various sustainability-themed events and workshops. Those interested can follow @surdurulebilir_imu Instagram account for program and participation information.
